From the Griffith Park Observatory, high on the slopes of Mount Hollywood, the view is spectacular. The vast metropolis of Los Angeles is spread out below, with the Pacific Ocean visible to the south west. This was the location chosen by Jane’s Addiction singer Perry Farrell for his band’s first encounter with the British rock press: an interview and photo shoot for Sounds magazine in June 1988.
The grounds of the observatory were deserted when photographer Mary Scanlon and I arrived at the designated time: eight o’clock in the morning. But for Farrell, it wasn’t early – it was late. He hadn’t slept since he called me at my hotel room to arrange this meeting, a call that woke me at 4am.
